Fee Waivers
Practice and policy resources on access to fee waivers for immigrant survivors.
Advocacy
ASISTA Amicus Brief: Fee Waiver Policy Changes Harm Survivors (January 21, 2020)
On January 21, 2020, ASISTA and partners submitted an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs in the case NWIRP v. USCIS in the District Court for the District of Columbia. This amicus shows the devastating impact that changes to fee waiver forms and policy will have in immigrant survivors of violence. We are grateful to and for the tremendous efforts of Gibson Dunn for their pro bono representation.
ASISTA Fee Waiver Template Comment for Advocates, June 2019
This is another opportunity for advocates to voice their opposition notice provides additional details regarding USCIS’ rationale for adjusting the fee waiver form and practices. We encourage advocates to submit comments to show the impact of these harmful changes to fee waiver forms and guidance on survivors and their families. For a template [click here].
Practice Resources
Practice Advisory: Fee Waivers for VAWA Self-petitions, U and T Visa Applications (August 2018)
ASISTA has been receiving reports from practitioners nationwide that they have seen a significant increase in the rates of fee-waiver denials from the Humanitarian Division of the Vermont Service Center. ASISTA has created a practice advisory to help advocates in their fee waiver preparation.
Appendix: Sample Language for Submitting Initial Fee Waiver Requests or Contesting Denials (February 2019). Appendix: Sample Language for Submitting Initial Fee Waiver Requests or Contesting Denials in Word version (February 2019)